iPad thoughts

The initial euphoria has worn off and now it's down to business. Specifically – does the iPad justify the money I just spent on it? Definitely yes with a small no.

Yes because it's gorgeous, easy to use, and behaves quite differently from what I imagined. Some of that is the system itself and some of that is the nature of the applications. No because there are some limitations that need to be solved. But I know these limitations won't be around for long.

Gorgeous is not a word one typically uses for technology. But on the iPad, like so many other Apple products, the shoe fits. It's a beautiful well-made shoe. When you hold it in your hands, you feel as though you are holding the future. The iPhone was the only other time I felt like that about a piece of technology. The screen is large and bright. For those with the recent MacBookPro line, it's like Apple ripped off the screen and put it in your hand. For me that is just what the doctor ordered. The interface is smooth and responsive. Things snap to your command. It's almost overwhelming in its' efficiency.

I think the critics who labeled it 'just a large iPhone' need to sit down with the device. There is no way that the same application can and should behave the same way on the two devices. Therefore, even though there are similarities, the additional real estate and new UI conventions force a different user experience.

I bought the iPad as primarily a reading device and it is quite adept in that function. Having it on your lap in either landscape or portrait feels intuitive and comfortable. It's usable in even direct sunlight, although details do wash out. Surfing the web is like experiencing it anew. In portrait, you can see the entire page, which is really what the designer intended.

The lack of Flash is frustrating as so many sites are dependent on that technology. But as I've said before, I've never been a big fan of it and I don't play a lot of games or non-YouTube video. I imagine the web will be a different place in a few months once the impact of all three major Apple devices driving the way we interact online.

Now the not so great stuff.

Right now, there are a lot of clumsy apps on the iPad. I salute some developers for embracing the concept and developing applications that fit very well. The media applications are the best at this – New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and GQ are the ones I've interacted with so far and am very impressed.

But it's painful to use non-optimized or ill thought out applications. What makes sense on an iPhone feels awkward and restraining on an iPad. I imagine every developer will be modifying his or her app soon because one does not want to cede loyalty to the competition.

One major difference is the iPad allows for more direct file swapping and some developers haven't modified their app with that in mind. To that end, I haven't seen an elegant solution for the main reason I purchased my iPad – interacting with large PDFs in a fashion more akin to printing it out and marking it up. I'll be watching the App Store closely.

This is the perfect opportunity to raise the application price point as an issue. iPhone apps are almost throw-away in cost. Yes that adds up but you can pull in a lot of great applications for under $20, try them out and toss the ones that don't work for you. iPad applications are more expensive, making each purchase a more considered one. I think there should be a trial period associated with every application. That will raise standards and make the purchase experience as rewarding as on the iPhone. Tossing $5 for something that doesn't work for you is annoying.

For more than just a few emails, I think the on-screen keyboard is too unconventional. There aren't enough punctuation marks on the main keyboard, forcing one into a menu tree. I could excuse this on the iPhone because of the limited space. On the iPad it is stupid and slows down what could be a decent typing experience. Dear Apple – punctuation is more than just an extra button; it is part of the structure of a language. Please adjust the keyboard accordingly.

One question I have gotten a lot in the time that I've owned this device is – can it replace a laptop. Yes, eventually.

Some of what one already does on one's laptop can be done on the iPad, with a lot more fun and a lot more grace. With an external keyboard, writing is a joy. It's a lot easier to read and edit one's writing in portrait mode, which is more akin to the printed page. As I've said before, the lack of multi-tasking is not a problem for me. There are fewer distractions than on a laptop, which makes one more productive. Interacting with the web, which is what most of us do on our laptops, is so much more enjoyable, lack of Flash notwithstanding. And the application UI is easy to use or thyet very powerful. I see a lot of very powerful applications coming online in the next few months. Hopefully they will challenge how we use our laptops and desktops and eventually cede the floor to tablet computing.

All that being said, it's not there yet. We are still dependent on our laptops and desktops for content that can not be elegantly shared if it is housed solely on the iPad. The Apple iTunes bottleneck does grate in a way that it doesn't on the iPhone. I can see why there has been so much wailing on the part of critics because it seems as though this device is wrapped in a plastic bubble that you can't pop. Additionally, the iPad is a different computing paradigm and I think developers need time to experience it and adjust their applications accordingly.

Is it worth it to buy it now? Maybe. I certainly love it. It's 90% of what I've been looking for in a device. I'm a mobile professional and am the perfect target for the MacBook Air. I didn't bite because while it was gorgeous to look, its' utility was too limited for the price. In fact, I think the iPad is a better MacBook Air. It's more portable and does many of the same tasks – surfing the web, listening to music, watching video, and writing – as well if not better. I think the iPhone OS has a lot of room to grow. I'm really looking forward to OS 4.0, which is rumored to go live in the coming months.

The iPad is a magical device. Some of its' magic will take time to unfold but I don't doubt that it will happen. It will change computing in the same way that the iPhone changed phones. I for one am very very pleased.